Game apparatus



Jan. 15, 1935. Jv BRYN' 1,988,071

GAME APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1933 INVENTOR \v-am X ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES 1,988,071 GAME APPARATUS John 'G. Bryn,

Application March 14,

Claims.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and more especially to game apparatus .of the class embodying-a series of lanes or channels and an object -or playing piece adapted to I 5 travel in one or another of such lanes.

One-of the primary objects of the, invention is to provide a game apparatus wherein a network of lanes or channels are employed which may be traversed by an object or playing piece under manipulation of the player, with different degrees of difficulty or uncertainty, preferably in conjunction with means for indicating the different'scores made according to the course traversed by the object or the position reached by the objectat-the finishing point.

Another object is to provide game apparatus of this class wherein portions of the lanes or channels are exposed or visible to the player but other portions thereof are covered or concealed from the player, thereby afiording a sufficient degree of uncertainty in the course that will be traversed by the object as manipulated by the player to render the game diflicult to play and hence interesting. I

Another object is to provide gameapparatus .of this class having lanes or channels which are provided with notches or depressions to prevent return of the object or playing piece after being advanced from a starting or other given point.

Another object is to provide game apparatus of this class wherein the movable object or playing piece is composed of a magnetic material and a magnet is provided under the magnetic influence of which theobject or playing piece is caused to travel in the lanes or channels while the magnet is manipulated by the player.

A more particular object of the invention is .to provide a small and compact game apparatus which is adapted to be played in a manner similar to the playing of the game of golf but on a miniature scale, it having a network of intercommunicating lanes which presents obstacles to the travel of the object or playing piece similar to the hazards or obstacles presented in the playing of golf, and pockets into one or another of which the object may enter at the finishing point, the particular pocket entered by the object or playing piece at the finishing point representing the number :of strokes required from the starting point or tee, to the finishing .point or hole.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts. all as will be hereinafter described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig.1 is a top plan view of the improved game apparatus embodying the present invention;

Brooklyn, N. Y. 1933, Serial no; 61:09:02 (01. 273-87) Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section through the game apparatus, taken on the line -22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. .3 is a transverse vertical the game apparatus, taken on the line 3'3 of Fig. 1, showing the magnet for manipulating th object or playing piece; 1

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section, takenon the section through line 4-4, Fig. 2, showing the object or playing I piece engaged in one of the non-return notches under the influence of the magnet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in perspective *of a portion of the apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is aview, similar to Fig. 5, illustrating to be carried in the pocket orto be held in the hands while being manipulated. l 1 Preferably and as shown, the apparatus comprises an outer frame 1 preferably of elongated rectangular form and composed, for example, of cardboard, a bottom 2 composed, for example :of cardboard, and having its edges fitted into a groove extending around the -inner side "of the frame, pieces 3 of cardboard or other suitable material on the upper ;side of the bottom 2 and which form lanes or channels for the. travel of the objector playing piece, a mask-orvfaoe piece 4 which overlies the pieces 3 and portions of the lanes or channels formedthereby, and a :cover 5 composed of a sheet: of glass or other traitsparent material having its edges fitted and secured in a groove extending around the inner side :of the frame .1.

The bottom 2 is preferably composed LOT a sheet of flat material smooth on wits :upper face except for non-return notches, or depressions therein, as will be hereinafter described. The pieces 3, which are glued or otherwise attached tothe upper side of the bottom 2, are cut in appropriate shapes and placed on the bottom .2 preferably in the manner shown in Fig. .2.'so that they form a network of :intercommunicating lanes or channels extendingfrom a starting point-to a finishing point. As shown, these pieces form a starting channel -6,'a channel 7 branching therefrom and leading to a return channel 8, the latter leading back to the starting channel 6, and the starting channel 6also has other channels 9 and 10 branching therefrom. The channels .7, '9 andlO lead to channels :11, 12 and 1.3, and these channels lead to a common junctionpoint 114, channels 12 and 13 having intermediate junction the object in an effort to replay a portion of the points 15 and 16.

Channels 17, 18,. 19 and 20 lead off as branches from the junction point 14 and pockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 are provided beyond the, respective termini thereof. Another channel leads from the channel 20 as a substantial continuation thereof, and it returns to the junction point 14. The pockets 21, 22, 23

and 24 all lead to a common intercommunicat example the channel 17 at the point 17 may -'be constricted in width so that the object will not pass therethrough.

In orderto prevent backward movement of game after-the object has been advanced from the starting point, the entrances to the channels 8,11, 12 and 13, the branches of the channels 12 and 13 beyond the junction point 16 and the entrance to the return channel 25 and also the entrances to the pockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 may each be provided with a non-return notch or depression 28, each of these non-return notches or depressions being preferably formed by compressing the cardboard or similar material composing the bottom 2 so as to form a relatively sharp edge 29 in the upper face of the bottom 2 at the side of the notch toward the starting point, so that while the object X may freely ride past any one of these notches while the object is being advanced, backward movement of the object toward the starting point will cause its edge to lodge against the edge or shoulder 29 and thereby prevent further return motion of the object.

- Preferably the object X is composed of a magnetic material, such as iron, and it is manipulated or caused to travel in the lanes or channels by a magnet 29 which is preferably an ordinary horseshoe permanent magnet of a size convenient to be held in the hand of the player, the magnet being placed beneath the bottom 2 so that the object will be attracted thereby and will be caused to travel in the grooves above the bottom by movement of the magnet in a direction substantially longitudinally at the under side of the apparatus.

The mask or face piece 4, which overlies the pieces 3 which form the channels or lanes, is formed with a slot 6 which uncovers or exposes a portion of the underlying starting channel 6, a slot 8 which uncovers or exposes the underlying return channel 8, slots 11 12 and 13 which uncover or expose portions of the underlying channels 11, 12 and 13 respectively, a slot underlying space 26, and one longitudinal edge andthe adjacent ends of the mask 4 are cut ,away as at 27 so as to uncover or expose the v li imderlying return channel 27. The face of the "mask 4, which will bevisible through the glass The or transparent cover 5, may bear a pictorial or' other representation of a golf course, for example being a representation of the tee-off point in the course or the starting point, 31, 32 and 33 representing sand traps or similar hazards or obstacles in the course, and the space 26 may bear the representation of a flag 34 indicating the hole or the finishing point. The slots 8 and 25 which expose the underlying return channels may bear an inscription to indicate that a penalty is to be charged against the player when the object enters either of said channels, and the slots 11, 12 and 13, slots 12 and 13 and slots 21, 22, 23 and 24 may be provided with numerals or other inscriptions as shown to indicate the scores made by the passage of the object through the respective underlying channels or, pockets.

The pole pieces or ends of the magnet 29 are preferably sufficiently wide in relation to the transverse area occupied by the network of object is concealed from view, the player could sense the channel in which the object is travelling.

A game simulating golf is played with an apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described, as follows:

The object or playing piece X is brought to the tee or starting point in the channel 6 as shown in Fig. 6, after which the magnet 29 is moved beneath and in contact with the bottom 2 in a direction from the tee or starting point toward the hole or finishing point, and the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the object, composed of iron or other magnetic material, causes the object to be drawn behind or to follow the magnet and to traverse the lanes or channels above the bottom. If the object passes through the channel 7 into the return channel 8, it may be returned to the tee or starting point by movement of the magnet in that direction and a suitable penalty may be charged against the player. If the object passes through either of the channels 9 or 10 and enters one of the channels 11, 12 or 13, it will reach the junction point 14, and the numerals applied to these channels, as shown in Fig. 1, may represent the number of strokes chargeable to the player according to which of these channels is traversed by the object. After reaching the junction point 14, the object may travel along the channel 20 and reach the return channel 25, in which event the object may be returned to the junction point 14 by movement of the magnet in that direction and a suitable penalty may then be charged against the player. If the object passes from the junction point 14 through one of the channels 18 or 19, it will enter one of the pockets 21, 22, 23 or 24, and the numerals applied to these pockets, as shown in Fig. 1, may represent the number of strokes charged to the player, according to which of the pockets is entered by the object. If the object enters the channel 17 it will be arrested in its motion by the constriction 1'7 therein and hence the object must be returned to the junction point 14 before being advanced therefrom.

After the object has entered one of the pockets, it may be further advanced by manipulation of the magnet to the space 26, which represents the hole or finishing point, and the object may then be returned to the tee or starting point by moving the magnet beneath and along the channel 27 in a direction toward the tee or starting point.

The non-return notches or depressions 28 in the bottoms of the channels 8, 11, 12, 13 and 25 and the pockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 will prevent the player from removing the object from any one of these channels or pockets, after it has once entered the same, by a backward movement of the object, the attraction or pull of the magnet exerted on the object causing it to be drawn down against the upper surface of the bottom 2 and to thus become firmly blocked against return movement by the shoulder 29 of the notch or depression. By making the object in the form of a disk or ball flattened at top and bottom, the object will be moved by a sliding of the same over the upper surface of the bottom under the in fluence of the magnet, so that uncontrolled rolling of the object is thus avoided, although by making the object with a circular or round circumference as shown, it may roll against the side walls of the grooves and thus avoid binding or catching thereon. The concealing of portions of the network of lanes or channels by the mask 4 imposes the requisite degree of difliculty in the playing of the game to render the same interesting and uncertain, since the player does not know which channel the object is travelling in until it reaches a portion of the channel which is exposed by the mask, the exposure of such portions of the channels enabling the player to observe the progress of the object through the glass or other transparent cover.

The mask 4 covers and conceals the branched channels '7, 9 and 10 and 17, 18, 19 and 20 so that the player will not be able to direct the object X into any particular one of these channels from the starting channel 6 or the junction point 14 by the aid of visual observation, thus affording suflicient difficulty in the playing of the game to render it interesting, although the portions of the channels 11, 12 and 13 and the pockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 which are exposed and thus rendered visible by the mask enable the object or playing piece to be observed by the player during its progress between the starting point and the finishing point, and the score-designating indicia applied to these visible portions of the channels and pockets enable a score of the game to be made according to the manner in which the game is played, the sum of the score-designating indicia for the channel and pocket through which the object passes representing for example the number of strokes required from the tee or starting point to the hole or finishing point, as in the game of golf.

Figure 6 shows a spherical member X for use as a playing piece. When such a spherical member is used as a playing piece, the use of a magnet for advancing the playing piece along the channels may be dispensed with and the ball may be caused to traverse the channels by tilting the apparatus.

I claim as my invention:-

1. Game apparatus comprising a support having a starting channel, a plurality of terminal pockets, and a network of intercommunicating guiding channels leading from said starting channel and providing a plurality of definite alternative lanes extending continuously from said starting channel to said terminal pockets, and an object of a size to travel in said network of channels and to be guided thereby into said pockets.

2. Game apparatus comprising a support having a starting channel, a plurality of terminal pockets, and branch channels radiating from said starting channel and intercommunicating at difierent points between the starting channel and the terminal pockets and providing a plurality of definite alternative lanes extending continuously from said starting channel to said terminal pockets, and an object of a size to travel in said channels and to be guided thereby into said pockets.

3. Game apparatus comprising a support having a starting channel, a plurality of terminal pockets and a network of intercommunicating guiding channels extending continuously between said starting channel and said pockets and providing a plurality of definite alternative lanes between said starting channel and pockets, an object of a size to travel in said network of channels and to be guided thereby into said pockets, and a mask covering and concealing intercommunicating portions of said channels and exposing and rendering visible the starting channel and the pockets.

4. Game apparatus comprising a bottom member, means forming on the upper side thereof a common starting channel, a plurality of terminal pockets and a network of intercommunicating guiding channels leading continuously from said common starting channel to the different pockets, said bottom member having por tions thereof depressed adjacent to intercommunicating portions of the channels to form non-return notches, an object of a size to travel in and to be guided to travel from said starting channel through one or another of the intercommunicating channels and into one or another of the terminal pockets, said non-return notches permitting the object to advance past them into the respective intercommunicating channels but preventing retrograde movement of the object therein, and a mask covering and concealing intercommunicating portions of the channels and the non-return notches and exposing and rendering visible the starting channel and the terminal pockets.

v 5. Game apparatus comprising an elongated bottom member, means forming a starting channel at one end thereof, a plurality of terminal pockets at the other end of said member and a network of intercommunicating guiding channels leading from the starting channel continuously but by different definite paths spaced laterally of the bottom member to the different terminal pockets, an object embodying a magnetic material of a size to travel in said network of channels and to be guided thereby, a mask concealing intercommunicating portions of said channels and exposing and rendering visible the starting channel and the terminal pockets, and a magnet having a polar area of suflicient size to exert its influence substantially throughout the width of the bottom member and cause the object to travel along any of the channels when moved longitudinally beneath the bottom member.

JOHN G. BRYN. 

